"Wouldn't it be great if we could come up with a solution where all those people can have a happy outcome": Clive Palmer Photo: Glenn Hunt

The Palmer United Party leader has made plain that he will seek concessions from Immigration Minister Scott Morrison in return for his party's support of TPVs. These could include giving those with TPVs the right to family reunion.

"It's very important at the moment to get the children off Christmas Island and get them off Nauru," Mr Palmer said. "We think it's very important we have a real solution for asylum seekers and we are discussing that with Morrison at the moment."

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It comes as Mr Morrison denied that the government had decided to stop sending asylum seekers to Manus Island and use Nauru as the only offshore processing centre.

The denial came after Fairfax Media revealed changes made to the Migration Act on July 15, which showed Mr Morrison had revoked the direction to send asylum seekers to Papua New Guinea's offshore processing centre on Manus Island.

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In the document, subsection 198ad(5) of the Migration Act 1958, Mr Morrison writes it is in the "public interest" to "direct officers to take unauthorised maritime arrivals to the Republic of Nauru".

It says the only people who are exempt to the act are asylum seekers who are flown to Australia for medical reasons. "In this instance I direct officers to take the unauthorised maritime arrival to Papua New Guinea when the person no longer needs to be in Australia for the medical treatment," the statement says.

A spokeswoman for Mr Morrison said that given limited boats had successfully arrived, fewer people have been required to be transferred.

Whether Mr Morrison can reach a deal with PUP is uncertain as he maintains the sending offshore of all asylum seekers who arrived since July 19 last year is a fundamental element of the government's strategy to stop the boats.

Areas for potential compromise include the conditions under which TPVs are issued and whether those who arrived before July 19 and are in the community on bridging visas are allowed to work.

"Wouldn't it be great if we could come up with a solution where all those people can have a happy outcome, our economy could be boosted and we could save that money for the budget," Mr Palmer said.

The government remains steadfast in its resolve to stop the boats, announcing it would cut its asylum seeker case client numbers from 12,000 to 5000 by June 2015. This has resulted in 500 jobs being shed from the Red Cross, which was announced late on Friday.

Do you know more? Email swhyte@fairfaxmedia.com.au

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported that 500 jobs are being shed from the Salvation Army as a result of the government's decision to cut its asylum seeker case client numbers. The job losses will occur at the Red Cross.